Elder statesman: Frank Lampard is the oldest member of the squad, at 35. He will turn 36 during the tournament. Photo: Reuters

From the outset, it was known that there were many players from the 2010 squad that would not feature here - such as retired goalkeeper David James, the A-League's own Emile Heskey and others, such as Matthew Upson and Joe Cole.

But the most high-profile discard will be Chelsea left-back Cole, who started every game in the 2010 tournament and has been a stalwart of the England setup for 13 years, amassing 107 caps.

Double act: Rickie Lambert, left, and Adam Lallana are both on the plane, after strong seasons with Southampton. Photo: Getty Images

Carrick and Barry, who have 31 and 53 caps respectively, are among the older generation who have missed out on selection.

Two of England's elder statesmen - Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard - remain, and will be the oldest members of the touring party.

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In-demand 18-year-old Southampton left-back Luke Shaw is not necessarily a shock selection, but many had predicted Cole's experience to be preferred as the backup to Leighton Baines, who will be the first choice left-back on Roy Hodgson's team sheet.

Gerrard will skipper the squad, on the back of a superb season for his beloved Liverpool.

Hodgson highlighted the difficulty of culling the pool of available players down to a 23-man playing group, telling reporters: "It's a big day, a big day for me to announce the squad. There were a number of decisions which were not easy to make. I hope the squad will give a good account of itself and they won't let the country down."

The announcement was made at Vauxhall's headquarters in Luton, as the car manufacturer is one of the team's sponsors.